It's mostly people who've been around for decades, though you do get Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Rihanna hovering in the top half too. There's six bands including Take That, and the rest are all individuals.

It might seem like music has changed a lot and things aren't like they used to be, but some things remain the same - there's apparently still a lot of money in nostalgia, a lot of money in vocals, and ALL the big money is in lyrics in English.

I think Take That were like the British version of N'Sync, more or less? Or am I confusing them with somebody completely different?

I do think the list is kinda useful even to us "little guys". Let's say that you play country covers, just as an example. Are you playing covers of the people who are making money right now? If not, maybe you should learn a few.

There is another thread which covered this topic that was started earlier in the week. I wouldn't call it a list of the top paid musicians. In Dr. Dre's case its more about the Beats Headphone business than anything else. The way the industry has changed over the years, many musicians have to find other ways to make money.